Electrical connecter



Dec. 11, 1935. R. A. BELL" y 2,024,814

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER Filed NOVI 18, 1952 W 1 l l /6 f /5 i Y ,ii J U 56 f, '1 fi y J6 J6 /l 34 20 'ZZ 2z 6 f l. L

Il 4 4 @Milf a 26 f@ I@ /Z 25 I 1 l g rl /a 6' INVENTOR OBERT A. BELL.

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ietented @en '17, 1935 v UNI-TED vlfsTATEs Parent lortie-*r3f' ELECTRICAL GGJNNECTER Robert A. Bell, Montclair, N. 5., assigner to The vRajah Company, Bloomeld, N. E., a comme tion of New Jersey Application November is, iosa, senat ne. cesare comme. (ci. ire-messi This invention relates to lelectrical connecters and more particularly to electrical conneoters Y for detachably connecting electrical conductors to spark plugs of internal combustion engines. The invention isnot'limited in its application however to connecters for connecting conductors trical connectors shall eachbe connected with.

the kcorresponding plug With'the axis of the connecter extending in a directiontransverse to the axis of the plug, and in certain cases, substantially perpendicular to the axis of the plug. The electrical connecters of an internal combustion engine deteriorate with age and often require renewal. To maintain in stock different sets oi conductors respectively having connectors for attachment to the spark plugs in the two positions referred to above greatly increases the investment in stock required by the jobber and the retailer and vit is obviously desirablethat the connecters on such conductors should be adapted :for either installation.

The principalobject of the present invention is to improve the construction of electrical conbe readily understood and appreciated by thosel skilled in the art. p

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawingjillustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

ln the drawing-f A Y Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating a connecter embodying the invention applied in oneposition to a Spark plug; Fig. 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in axial section, of the connecter construction illustrating the parts connected tofgether in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in frontelevation illustrating the connecter with the parts 'in the relative posi- 10 tions shown in Figs. l and A2;

Fig. a is a sectional view illustrating the construction cf one of the members of the connecter taken substantially on thev line l-d of'lig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in side elevation and 15 .partly in section talen substantiallyT on the line 5 5 of l'ig.l 6, illustrating the connecter with the members thereof connected together with their axes in relatively vvtransverse positions; and

Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation oi the, connecter construction with the members thereof in the relative positions shown in Fig. 5.

In the construction shown in ,the drawing, the electrical connecter comprises a male connecter member 5i and a female connecter member Il.v

The maleconnecter member 2 consistsv oi.' a stud constructed to be attached to the inner terminal ci a spark plug preferably by threading .the stud on said terminal. This stud is provided with an enlargement ti having an abrupt inner o shoulder to be engaged by theiemale connecter member and with an inclined or beveled surface d. leading to said enlargement. The stud is also provided with a portion it inside ci said shoulder, preferably cylindrical in form andwith a second substantially cylindrical!` portion I2 inside oi said portion lil and somewhat larger in diameter and forming a shoulder having an outer contact face itl. Y The female member i of the connecter is pref# o erably 'constructed from sheet metal, is secured to one end of an electrical conductorl *andV is connected electrically with the conductor wires lo of said conductor. f The member d is provided n with a base it from which entend in a direction 45 substantially perpendicular to said base a series of flexible e resilient arms 22, each preferably arcuate in cross section. These arms are` pre1'- erably equally spaced from a line passing vcentrally through. the base 2 substantially perpen- 50 dicular thereto which will be hereinafter referred to as the anis of the connecter or terminal member. i Y

Each of the anne 22 is provided at a point at some distance from the end of the arm with a 55 terminal, at least one of said Angers having a portion adapted, when the two terminals are assembled longitudinally, to extend inwardly toward the neck of the male terminal from an adjacent portion of said finger which extends over the enlargement of the male terminal, and atleast two adJacent fingers each being cut back at the side facing the other to form a recess between them spaced from theirends and adapted to receive the neck of the male terminal, when the two terminals are assembled transversely, and each of said fingers having a portion nearer to its ends which extends partially across said recess to resist withdrawal of the neck o! the male terminaltherefrom, and a third linger thereof being approximately diametricaliy opposite to said recess and normally spaced therefrom a distance less than the distance from the narrowest part of the neck to the end of the male terminal whereby it will press against the end of the male terminal and serve to hold the two terminals in the transverse position. l

2. kAn electrical connecter as deilned in claim in which the male terminal is substantially cylindrical except for the neck and a tapered portion near its end adapted by cam action to spread 1i)-A the lingers `of the female terminal when pushed t thereagainst and the fingers of the female terminal are adapted to embrace said cylindrical part whereby to hold the terminals in longitudinal relation.

i ROBERT A. BELL. 

